The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1887-12-21
China Experiences the Great
est Calamity Of the Age.

SAS Francisco. December d.
The steamship City OF Sidney ar
rived this Afternoon from Hong
Kong and Yokohama, bringing the
details of a disaster occasioned by
the Yellow River overfiowing its
banks in the Province of Ho-Nan..
Its described as one of the most
appalling occurrences in loss of life
and property recorded in recent
times.
The river broke its banks on the
evening of September 2Sth. south
west of the city of Chin Choo, and
not only completely inundated that
city, but also ten other populons
cities. Tho whole area is now a
raging sea ten to thirty feet deep,
whore it was once a densely popn-
lated and rich plain.
The former bed of the Yellow
River is now dry, and the present
lake was the bed of the river cen
turtles ago.
THE Loss OF LIFE
is incalculable, and the statement is
made by missionaries that millions
of Chinese are homeless and starry
ing. Thomas Patton, one of the
American missionaries, writing
from Nan Province, under date
of October 29, says:
The ncwly gathered crops, houses
and trees are all swept away, it.volv-
ing fearful loss of life. The coun-
try was covered with "a fine winter
braid, which is gone, and implies
complete destruction to next years
crop, "Bread, bread!'' is the cry of
thousands, who are on the river
bank. Benevolent people go in
boats and throw bread among the
masses here and there, but it is
nothing compared with the require
ments. The mass of people is still
being increased by continual ar
rivals even more hungry than the
last. There they sit. stunned, hun
cry and detected, without rag to
wear or morsel of food. Mud huts
are being erected for them What
it will be in two months i cannot
conceive. The misery is increasing
owing to the bitter cold weather.
Yellow River has long been known
as "China's Sorrow" and the pres
ent disaster has served to reassert
its right to the terrible title. AS
yet details of tho disaster are very
meager. 1t has occurred in dis
trict where but few foreigners are,
and the reports furnished by the
officials and republished in the Pc
equate account of the extent of the
loss of life and property and the
suffering of the survivors.
NEARLY ALL DROWNED
The Governor Ho-Nan reports to
the Throne that s.Nearly all the
people have been drowned in the
district reached by the water, the
survivors being those who escaped
to the high ground or took refuge
in trees, where they remained till
they were rescued.
This gives but little impression as
to what the extent of the disaster
really is.
The Chinese Times states that in
the Province of Chilli, where disas-
trous foundations have also occurred,
there are 270,o00 people homeless,
representing those whose lives were
destroyed, and adds that the misery
in that province is tritiing as com
pared with that caused by Hoang-
Ho; or the Yellow River. The ex-
tent of ground swept over by
THE OVERWHELMING FLOOD,
Given in English figures, is over
seven thousand square miles, and
land thus submerged formed part
of the richest and most densely pop
ulated plains of Northern China.
The necessity for liberal aid may
therefore be imagined. Already
considerable sums have been con
tributed toward the relief of suffer-
ers. The Emperor of China has
given 100000 taels, and the Chin
csc have started a subscription list
in Shanghai, to which foreigners
have literally contributed.
MILLIONS LEFT HOMELESS.
Millions have beenrendered home
less and entirely deprived of all
chances of earning their livelihood,
for their fields will either become
permanent lakes or uninhabitabTe
swamps. 1t is feared that the dis
tress which will be felt during the
coming winter will equal in inten-
sity the famine of ten years ago,
when charitable donations contrib
uted from all parts of the world
were utterly inadequate 1t is
stated that owing to the action ia
ken by the Yellow River, it no lon
ger flows toward the sea, but seems
content in converting Eastern Ho-
Nan and Northern Nganwhul into
a lake. 1t may ultimately flow into
the sea through the Kiangon, or it
may even possibly join the Yang
teze.